Tongues...I Never Thought to Ask This...

[Jermyn Davidson]

There have been times in prayer where I felt like there were "others" actually present praying or listening in on me. To be quite honest, the times it happened, it was kind of concerning almost scary to me. I just kept praying anyway and one of my doctors actually said it was a symptom of mental illness.

To be honest, I still don't know what to make of those moments. They happened late at night/early in the morning, in the prayer room, at the Apopka church when I used to attend and I had a key to their prayer room.

Now that I think about it, I don't pray like I used to since leaving the Apostolics.

Seemingly "closer to God", but doctrinally incorrect (or at least going along with stuff I didn't agree with)-- I think about this paradox too, sometimes, when I'm by myself, and I think about my years attending an Apostolic church.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Michlow,
Do you agree with the people that make themselves speak in tongues on the drop of a dime? Many of the people of my current church who do speak in tongues seem to be of the mindset that embrace this practice.

[houston]

If that was not possible there would be no need for instruction to the Corinthians.

[Dichotomy Girl]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

It bothers me that mine usually sound the same.

It also bothers me that, over the years, several have commented on my tongues-- as in they sound different from everyone else's.

They do sound different from alot of others, the syllables don't sound the same as others, and kind of hard to break down-- sounds like a bunch of la, la, la's to me-- but it isn't la, la, la's it's the closest that I can come up with. That and I can pick up on a "ya da"-- but it seems that I say a bunch of "ah" as in apple sounds. There is a variation in the intensity, but not too much that I can differentiate in the actual "sylabalization."

Like I said, others have commented to me and it has made me a bit self-conscious at times.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I know how hurtful that can be. (Like I mentioned, my ex-husband telling me that I sounded like a "stuttering Goat").

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

There have been times in prayer where I felt like there were "others" actually present praying or listening in on me. To be quite honest, the times it happened, it was kind of concerning almost scary to me. I just kept praying anyway and one of my doctors actually said it was a symptom of mental illness.

To be honest, I still don't know what to make of those moments. They happened late at night/early in the morning, in the prayer room, at the Apopka church when I used to attend and I had a key to their prayer room.

Now that I think about it, I don't pray like I used to since leaving the Apostolics.

Seemingly "closer to God", but doctrinally incorrect (or at least going along with stuff I didn't agree with)-- I think about this paradox too, sometimes, when I'm by myself, and I think about my years attending an Apostolic church.

I get the paradox. Those years as an Apostolic helped make us who we are, and as such it influences both our personality and character and our spirituality. Both for good and for bad, and I admit, because I had some really bad experiences that it took me years before I could see and embrace the good from my Apostolic experience.

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

Michlow,
Do you agree with the people that make themselves speak in tongues on the drop of a dime? Many of the people of my current church who do speak in tongues seem to be of the mindset that embrace this practice.

The way that I've always explained speaking in tongues (especially to my Atheist husband, or to non-pentecostal Christians) is that it tends to happen at times when I am completely overwhelmed emotionally. It can be joy or sorrow, gratitude or despair, but it's like I am so overcome that I couldn't possible articulate my thoughts or feelings, instead tongues just kind of burst out of me. I have control over it, as in I can bite my tongue or close my lips, or shout them loud or whisper them, but I can't make them come.

If someone said "Speak in Tongues right now!" I doubt I could comply (unless God had something to prove.) So I admit that I've always been a little skeptical of people who can do tongues on command. On the other hand, I try really hard to give people the benefit of the doubt, because I know that my experiences aren't the only way that people can experience God.

I've been feeling like I would really like to visit a Pentecostal/charismatic church in the near future. I miss the more heartfelt worship, and the feel of the spirit overpowering the room. But then I think about the screamy sermons and excessive emotionalism, and I change my mind.

[ILG]

Usually, when in intercessory prayer, I would speak what sounded some oriental dialect which was different from normal. Of course I used to speak in tongues all the time but now on more rare occasions and I stop myself if I feel I am moving into that self induced type of OP trance.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Dichotomy Girl

The way that I've always explained speaking in tongues (especially to my Atheist husband, or to non-pentecostal Christians) is that it tends to happen at times when I am completely overwhelmed emotionally. It can be joy or sorrow, gratitude or despair, but it's like I am so overcome that I couldn't possible articulate my thoughts or feelings, instead tongues just kind of burst out of me. I have control over it, as in I can bite my tongue or close my lips, or shout them loud or whisper them, but I can't make them come.

If someone said "Speak in Tongues right now!" I doubt I could comply (unless God had something to prove.) So I admit that I've always been a little skeptical of people who can do tongues on command. On the other hand, I try really hard to give people the benefit of the doubt, because I know that my experiences aren't the only way that people can experience God.

I've been feeling like I would really like to visit a Pentecostal/charismatic church in the near future. I miss the more heartfelt worship, and the feel of the spirit overpowering the room. But then I think about the screamy sermons and excessive emotionalism, and I change my mind.

Did I write this? No wait, it was Mich, my soul and spirit Sister. LOL!

[votivesoul]

The Gift of Kinds of Tongues (the word divers is not present in the Greek text) suggests that there are multiple, different tongues available to those who have this, or rather, have been given this Gift.

Now, not everyone has received this particular charismata, even if they have and do speak in tongues. So, if a person's "tongue" never seems to change into an entirely different language, it's likely that person has not been granted the Gift of Kinds of Tongues.

Secondly, while it may seem strange to some that there are people who can speak in tongues immediately, let it be understood that this is likely an indication of someone who either:

1.) Has the Gift of Kinds of Tongues

or

2.) Is in constant need of self-edification due to some form of personal weakness or character flaw (See 1 Corinthians 14:2-4)

[seguidordejesus]

Tongues is the manifestation of a gift that is used to edify the body and draw us closer to Jesus. Why all the focus on what it sounds like, etc? That's not even remotely the point of it.

[Dichotomy Girl]

Originally Posted by ILG

Usually, when in intercessory prayer, I would speak what sounded some oriental dialect which was different from normal. Of course I used to speak in tongues all the time but now on more rare occasions and I stop myself if I feel I am moving into that self induced type of OP trance.

You might find this interesting...my anxiety has been really bad lately and I was thinking about things that I used to do to keep it in check, and I found this science article about speaking in tongues (I'll have to hunt it down for you), anyway, they did brain scans, etc. And the parts I remember the most is that they described it as a dissociative state, like meditation (Though meditation uses different parts of the brain), which I thought was interesting, and then they (or this might have been a 2nd article) found that speaking in tongues reduced the amount of cortisol in the brain (which causes stress and anxiety) and stabalizes another chemical that also helps with anxiety.

Now this can be looked at two ways. 1.) the peace that God gives is shown through the hormones in our bodies and chemicals in our brains when we are in communication/communion with him or 2.) this is a biological reaction of a self-induced dissociative state, that we attribute to God.

Either way, it seems to help.

Originally Posted by ILG

Did I write this? No wait, it was Mich, my soul and spirit Sister. LOL!

[Dichotomy Girl]

Originally Posted by seguidordejesus

Tongues is the manifestation of a gift that is used to edify the body and draw us closer to Jesus. Why all the focus on what it sounds like, etc? That's not even remotely the point of it.

I've never particularly cared what mine sounded like (except for being hurt when my ex made fun of them), and I've never paid any attention to anyone else's (except one time when the girl next to me started speaking in french(?) and I found my trying to pick out words).

I was just curious when I noticed mine change abruptly in the middle of praying and wondered if this was common. As the only tongues-speakers that I know are here on the forum I introduced this topic. For the record, I don't think anyone implied that what they sounded like was the point.